Thomas Frank gave an intriguing reply when asked about the Liverpool manager’s job, in the wake of Jurgen Klopp recently announcing that he’ll step down at the end of this season.
While Xabi Alonso is the clear favourite to take over at Anfield, the Brentford boss reportedly has admirers at the Merseyside club (The Athletic).
Speaking to Danish media outlet Tipsbladet, the 50-year-old was asked if he’d have any interest in one day managing the Reds or Barcelona, whose current coach Xavi is also stepping aside later this year.
Frank reaffirmed his commitment to the Bees but didn’t shut the door on taking a high-profile job elsewhere, saying: “Yeah, I keep up with things and have seen that Xavi and Klopp are leaving, two big coaching personalities for two fantastic clubs, both of whom have done well.
“As for myself, I’m insanely happy to be here. I’ve said that before. I have the opportunity to fulfill many of my ambitions. Like everyone else, I also have ambitions, but it’s hard to say exactly what they are.”
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While Frank has publicly distanced himself from the Liverpool job, it seems he isn’t ruling out a big move later in his career if the opportunity arises, judging by his comment about having ‘ambitions’.
Considering the budget with which he’s working at Brentford, even he would be very hard pressed to surpass their ninth-place finish in last season’s Premier League, so he couldn’t be blamed if he were to seek a new challenge after nearly five-and-a-half years in west London.
The Bees have been a revelation since reaching the top flight in 2021, beating every member of the so-called ‘big six’, including a famous win away to Manchester City and a 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United, all while showing a tactical flexibility which has made the 50-year-old stand out in this division.
However, while finishing mid-table with his current club may be seen as a success, Frank would be expected to challenge for major trophies if he were to take charge at Liverpool, so it’d be a step up laced with risk for both him and the Reds.
That’s not to completely rule it out at a later point if the clearly ambitious Dane works wonders elswhere, but as impressive as he’s undoubtedly been at Brentford, it’s very hard to see him being named as Klopp’s successor this year.
#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️